Smokin'
by apiegohome
Summary: After Vanitas is wrongfully accused of breaking apartment building by-laws by the same guy he's romantically interested in, he decides getting even is a much better idea than just getting angry. Revenge has never been sweeter... Vanitas x Ventus


**A/N:** A very late secret santa present to the wonderful 'vanitas-unversed' on tumblr, who requested VanVen! I was more than happy to write this XD I hope you like it! MERRY CHRISTMAS! And Bring on 2017! Big thanks to Ironic Sarcasm and PaopuNova for being awesome betas :D

* * *

 **Smokin'**

Vanitas always met him in the elevator. It was more or less only a minute of shared conversation that should have been text-book awkward and uncomfortable, but amazingly, never was.

The first thing that captured Vanitas' attention was the guy's bright blue eyes, his expression so open and completely unguarded. Such a rare thing to see in a person's face in this day and age. He took in the man's ridiculously styled, blond hair next, but the uppity business suit and shiny dress shoes just helped to reaffirm that his somewhat attractive, upstairs neighbour was predictably just another boring office worker.

His appraisal had taken all of half a glance and he was quick to lose interest, even if it was obvious the guy was still curious about him. This was nothing new. Even in a city as large as this, Vanitas was used to people giving him strange looks. It wasn't for the first time that he wondered what he actually looked like to another person. Was it his hair? His oddly-coloured, yellow eyes? Or maybe just his overall ' _don't mess with me'_ appearance. Whatever it came down to didn't really matter, because he found people more often than not tended to keep their distance, which, in all honesty, didn't particularly bother him.

Sighing inwardly, Vanitas averted his eyes and stepped into the lift. The other guy shuffled over to make room for him, still blatantly staring, but Vanitas couldn't have felt more unmotivated to engage him if he tried.

That is, until the doors finally slid closed again, (Vanitas stabbing at the already lit 'G' button just for good measure), and this guy he'd known for all of five seconds was unexpectedly introducing himself.

"Hi! You've just moved in here, right? I've never seen you before."

The guy proffered his hand and Vanitas stared down at it, feeling slightly taken aback. His quick retort at _Mr. Perceptive_ stating the obvious died on his lips as he looked up again, and the boring blue-collar was now all sunshine and smiles, the look on his face expectant.

"I'm Ventus, but only my mother calls me that, so just call me Ven."

Without even questioning it, Vanitas found himself reaching forwards, taking the guy's hand.

"Vanitas."

Ventus' eyebrows rose. "Vanitas? Isn't that… _It is!_ It's Latin like mine! Were your parent's kinda hippies, too?" He gave Vanitas a knowing smile, but Vanitas already felt himself lost.

"…What?"

Ventus just waved a hand. "Uh, never mind!"

The elevator took that moment to arrive at its destination, the doors smoothly gliding open.

"Oh! This is my stop!" Ventus proclaimed, another wonderfully perceptive outburst. He gave Vanitas a wave as he stepped out into the ground floor foyer. "It was nice meeting you, Vanitas! See you around sometime!"

For a beat the doors remained open and Vanitas wordlessly watched Ventus go. It was only after the doors clamped shut again and the lift started powering upwards that he realised he was supposed to get off at ground, too.

Well, shit.

In a stupor, he jabbed a finger at the '8' and resigned himself to just getting something to eat in the afternoon instead. He always forgot about buying food for the morning when he got stuck working night shifts, but the odd hours of his job had nothing to do with him feeling suddenly so out of it...

It was an amusing thought, but Ventus had honestly left him a bit shell-shocked. Never, had he met anyone so… _lively,_ especially in this hell-hole of a city, and Vanitas felt like he'd been way too quick to write him off. The apartment building he'd just moved into wasn't as large as some he'd lived in, but it was still big enough to not bump into the same people on a regular basis, so it definitely would be interesting if they ever came across each other again.

Vanitas smiled, even more surprised to find it genuine. It certainly had been a memorable encounter.

-0-

A few days passed and Vanitas realised he was probably correct in assuming that he and Ventus were working opposite shifts. Whenever he was arriving home in the morning, Ventus would sometimes briefly meet him in the foyer, always heading in the other direction, but despite this, their limited contact hadn't curbed Vanitas' growing interest in the slightest. He wanted to have more of a lasting conversation, but Ventus was either running late or he was, so their timing just hadn't been right. Vanitas could be patient though – when he chose to be. As much as he wanted to rush things, sometimes the journey was far more exciting than the destination.

The prospect of quality time with his energetic neighbour did little to help his sour mood, though, as Vanitas silently fumed out on his balcony, sprawled in a chair with his feet resting up on the table. It wasn't the fact that he'd been roped into doing a later start tonight, working security down at a local nightclub that had him so pissed off, but rather, a _note,_ of all things, that had been pushed underneath his apartment door earlier this morning.

 _Dear Neighbour,_ it read, Vanitas' eyes narrowing as he bitterly anticipated what was to follow. 'Dear Neighbour' letters _never_ ended pleasantly. _I would just like to remind you that under current Body Corporate legislation, this entire building (including the balcony) is supposed to be a cigarette smoke-free environment. It would be greatly appreciated if you could please stop smoking on your balcony and/or inside of your apartment. Signed, A Concerned Neighbour._

 _Concerned Neighbour_. Right. _So_ concerned they hadn't even felt the need to identify themselves. Why couldn't anyone just approach him normally without any of this cloak and dagger shit? Was he _really_ that scary? Vanitas had thrown the note straight into the bin and gone to bed early, only to find himself waking up in the evening still feeling angry about it. He hadn't even been home last night, _damn it_ , and he didn't even _smoke!_

Drumming his fingers over the bottle of beer held lax within his grip, Vanitas tilted it towards his lips and glared long and hard up at the ceiling. No doubt it was probably the apartment above him, some hoity-toity bitch who made a big show of coughing whenever a smoker lit up around them and who also made a habit of sending their gluten-free, low-fat, skinny salads back to the kitchen for stupid shit like a wonky looking tomato. He'd just moved here _for chrissakes_ , he didn't need the trouble, nor was he inviting it.

He rested his beer back down against his thigh and stiffly scrubbed a hand through his hair. Maybe this… _concerned neighbour_ had just seen him down in the basement, or passed him in the hallway and pegged him for being bad news. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been forcibly moved on, and it definitely wouldn't be the last. Thoughtful, Vanitas went through every person he'd ever come across since he'd been living here, one person in particular already at the forefront of his mind.

Anticipating it, Vanitas had run into Ventus down in the foyer again; he'd been waiting for the lift, just as Ventus was stepping out of it, dressed and ready for work.

"Oh, hey!" Ventus' entire face had lit up at just the sight of him. "Don't tell me you worked all night?"

"Yeah, double shift," Vanitas murmured, his eyes fixated on the way Ventus' lips slightly quirked to one side.

Ventus had laughed in answer, and Vanitas caught himself smiling.

"Damn, that's rough." Ventus had opened his mouth again, almost as if he'd planned to say something more, but at the last minute Vanitas could see he'd changed his mind. Ventus hurried past, his parting words thrown over his shoulder. "I'm late so I gotta run! Have a good sleep!"

The more times they ran into each other, Vanitas was all the more convinced Ventus was actually the physical embodiment of a whirlwind.

Rolling some of the tension from his shoulders, Vanitas sat back in his chair and looked out over the twinkling lights of the city. It was still somewhat surprising to him that just thinking about Ventus easily made him feel better. Fuck the mystery note-leaver, there was no point in working himself up over it when there wasn't really anything he could do about it. He couldn't even find the person responsible and _politely_ set them straight, but maybe, since he wasn't actually the one smoking, the invasive, misdirected annoyance would end up being the last.

Just then, the sliding door to the balcony above him opened, and Vanitas steeled himself as the sound of voices reached him in the calm quiet of the night. He nearly rolled his eyes. He'd been right about one thing at least. It seemed the apartment directly above him did indeed belong to a woman.

"So tell me more about tall, dark, and _mysterious?_ " Vanitas heard her begin with a playful lilt to her tone that instantly grated on his nerves. "Have you asked him out yet?"

Now Vanitas really did roll his eyes. Of course it was _girl talk_. He imagined the woman and her companion with glasses of wine and brightly coloured fingernails, the annoying chatter of patronizing conversation being enough to stimulate the both of them into twittering laughter. Her enquiry accompanied the usual sound of metal, outdoor chair-legs being drawn back along the balconies' tiled floor.

There was a laugh next, shockingly familiar, and Vanitas froze in his seat.

"I _wish!_ I haven't had a chance to!" Ventus expressed dramatically, whose voice Vanitas could have picked out in a crowd of thousands. "He's either coming home when I'm going to work, or leaving when I'm getting home. It's crap – we're on completely opposite shifts!"

Doing his best to remain silent, Vanitas slowly lowered his legs to the floor and set his beer down on the table. This was... _surreal_. He felt like he'd been hit up the side of the head with a rubber mallet. What were the odds that it would be _Ventus_ of all people, upstairs in that pretentious woman's apartment – not to mention it was more than obvious they were talking about _him!_

"He's got to have a night off sometime," the woman was saying next, Vanitas more curious in hearing more now, in spite of himself. "Just ask him when he's free next. Hey, if he's new to the building, he could _also_ be new to the city. You could offer to show him around. Maybe take him out to dinner."

Vanitas heard Ventus groan. "Gimme a _break_ , Aqua! You make it sound so _easy_. Every time I see him I just get stupidly nervous. I talk a million miles an hour and get all flustered. I'm so hyper around him, he probably thinks I'm on drugs."

Vanitas snorted into his beer. Well, he'd never thought of anything as out there as illicit substances, but Ventus' energetic responses had had him intrigued. He'd just assumed he was simply a more cheerful, positive person than most, which was something of a rarity to find in someone, especially in a large, crowded city such as this.

The woman named Aqua laughed loudly before sobering quickly. Her reply was quiet and seemed genuinely concerned.

"Do you really think he wouldn't like you? …From what you told me earlier he does sound a tad serious."

There was a pause then, and Vanitas' impatience to hear Ventus' answer was almost too much to endure.

"…He _does_ look pretty serious…but this morning…he finally smiled at me, and it was like…the sun came out from behind the clouds."

Vanitas' eyes went wide. He'd never heard _anyone_ describe him like that. Especially not in that tone. The awe in Ventus' voice knocked the air from his lungs.

" _Wow…_ " Aqua breathed, sounding amused. "You _are_ smitten, aren't you?"

"Shut _up!"_ Ventus laughed, and Vanitas was more than happy to hear he wasn't denying it. "Well, I think I'm a pretty good judge of character and he doesn't _seem_ like an asshole, even if he is _Mr. Serious._ "

Vanitas knew he was smiling, his cheeks actually aching just the slightest bit due to how foreign an expression it was on his face. In fact, now that he thought back on it, Ventus had made him smile more in little less than a week than he had in entire _years._ It seemed Ventus had noticed from the beginning that he wasn't an easy person to approach and had _still_ made an effort to speak to him. Vanitas couldn't help but appreciate Ventus for not judging him straightaway on face value alone, especially when so many people always did. Suddenly, he couldn't wait for tomorrow. It didn't matter if they only had thirty-odd seconds of conversation like they usually did – he was still going to make it clear to Ventus that he wanted to go out on a date, too.

Still smiling, Vanitas glanced up at the ceiling again, wondering why the two above him had suddenly gone quiet, and then that's when he finally smelled it.

Cigarette smoke. 

" _Ugh_. Speaking of assholes – the guy below me won't stop smoking."

Vanitas' smile slipped right off his face.

"I put a note underneath his door this morning about it, but he obviously hasn't listened. Can you smell it?"

"Yeah, I can _. Yuck."_

To Vanitas' dismay, Aqua was the one _replying_ – not _accusing,_ the realisation hitting him all at once as to who was _really_ the hoity-toity bitch living directly above him.

Ventus was incensed, his voice only increasing in volume as another thick curl of smoke drifted up past Vanitas' balcony. "Last night I had to close everything up and put the aircon on, it was coming in right through my bedroom window. Gross!"

"How inconsiderate," Aqua murmured in agreement. "Isn't it against the Body Corp to live here and smoke?"

"Yeah, it is. I bet he doesn't care though," Ventus muttered, his voice still carrying as clear as a bell. "Come on, let's go back inside. I can't stand the smell of it."

There was a shuffling of chairs moving against the tiled floor above him before the balcony door was slammed shut in finality, Vanitas now sitting motionless in complete, dead silence.

Un- _fucking-_ believable.

Vanitas hadn't smoked since he was a teenager, but right at that moment, he'd never craved one more in his _life_. If he hadn't been so incredulous he would have laughed out loud, the truly hilarious reality of this entire situation being that Ventus didn't even know that the same guy he was so _smitten_ over, was the same one he was outright accusing of breaking apartment building by-laws.

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, wearily rubbing at his eyes. In all honesty, his reputation was more of a misconception: Vanitas was actually a pretty reasonable guy when it came down to it. This was all just…a _huge_ misunderstanding, any _reasonable_ person would be able to see that. He would just simply speak to Ventus about it the next time they saw each other and _everything_ would be straightened out between them – no drama at all.

Despite this unexpected turn of events, Vanitas felt his smile returning. Then maybe, they could finally go out together and get to _know_ each other better, in every sense of the word.

-0-

To _hell_ with being a reasonable person – Vanitas was ready to shank someone.

It was seven-thirty in the morning and _finally_ , after surviving the shift that seemed gifted to him straight out of the eighth circle of hell, Vanitas was shuffling through the front doors of his apartment's foyer building, tired, cranky, and completely over it. Some teeny-bopper who couldn't handle her alcohol had vomited all over his shoes last night, then her roided-up boyfriend had tried to blindside him with a punch to the back of the head when he refused them both entry.

If that hadn't been bad enough to contend with, he'd had another guy try to sell him pills, and then a woman at the bus-stop who had seemed friendly enough, had offered him a cigarette of all things, which only had him sour all over again about the situation with Ventus and the note. This was why he hated working security at nightclubs – he'd take an empty warehouse to patrol any night of the week. It bored him to death, but at least it wasn't _painful._

The only thing that had kept him more on the positive side of things was the promise of his usual morning run-in with Ventus, but due to the bus running half an hour behind schedule, he'd been robbed of that, too.

Seething, Vanitas walked over to the far wall of the foyer, just before the lifts, and unlocked his allocated, apartment mailbox. He hadn't bothered checking it for a number of days now and was irritated even more by the large wad of junk-mail waiting for him inside. Grabbing the entire bundle, Vanitas slammed the tiny, mailbox door closed again before making his way over towards the elevators. He'd sort it all out upstairs. Right now, he just needed to be away from everyone. A long, hot shower wouldn't hurt either.

It was only after he got inside his apartment and threw himself down onto his couch did Vanitas take more than a glance at the mess of envelopes and pamphlets he'd brought in with him. One envelope in particular stood out immediately, it's corners too crisp and unwrinkled in comparison to all the other regular mail he'd received. Already sceptical, he tossed the rest of the mail to the couch-cushions beside him, intent on opening _this_ one first.

It was a letter from the apartment building's Body Corporate. Vanitas skimmed through it, his hands beginning to shake as his anger grew the more he read. _Multiple complaints_ leapt out at him, as did _in direct violation of the terms of your lease._ They were threatening him with eviction, unless of course, he immediately ceased his supposed bad habit of _smoking_ in his apartment _._

Naturally, Vanitas was at his very limit. His movements exaggerated and slow, he purposely placed the letter writing-side down back onto the pile, his eyes locked on the television straight ahead of him as he willed himself to calm down. He could _hardly_ believe it – could hardly believe such a minor issue had blown so completely out of proportion. If he'd known Ventus was home right then he wasn't sure what would have stopped him from marching straight up there and giving him a piece of his mind. But, in retrospect, that really wouldn't help anything, there was no point in losing his cool.

No, fortunately for him, Vanitas already had a better idea. What he _really_ needed to do now was to get _even._ Ventus wouldn't know what hit him. 

-0-

That evening, Vanitas made a show of looking casual as he pretended to check his mail in the foyer while he waited for Ventus to return home from work. He didn't have to stand around for long, Ventus' quiet humming reaching him as soon as the apartment building's doors opened.

Time to play it cool. He knew he could be charming when he wanted to be.

"Hey, Ven! I'm so glad I caught you."

Ventus jumped in surprise, having been engrossed with something on his phone, his eyes lifting instantly to meet with Vanitas'.

"Vanitas! Fancy meeting _you_ here!" Ventus took a moment to laugh at his own joke, (since they only ever met here), and Vanitas let him, his own amusement increasing tenfold. This was going to be fun.

Finally registering Vanitas' words, Ventus simmered down, his expression falling into one of concern.

"Uh, sorry… Is everything okay?"

Vanitas smiled reassuringly, walking over closer to meet Ventus halfway. "Yeah, everything's great, but I was just wondering...if maybe you could help me out with something?"

He purposely looked unsure, and predictably, Ventus jumped at the chance to help him.

"Sure! What do you need?"

Vanitas inwardly cheered. Ventus was making this _way_ too easy.

Keeping his façade in place, Vanitas dug his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and took on a slight, self-deprecating look. "Well, to tell you the truth, I've only just moved here, and I don't really know my way around the city at all. A friend of mine was taking me to a Pool tournament tonight, but he's...kind of left me out on a limb – cancelled on me at the last minute. I still want go and compete, but I'm not quite sure how to…"

He trailed off expectantly, glancing down at the floor then looking up at Ventus through his eyelashes. Ventus for his part, looked like all of his Christmases had come at once.

"Say no more," Ventus grinned, his eyes brightening as he caught on. "I can help you get there! If...you don't mind the company, I mean."

"That'd be great," Vanitas sighed, now appearing overly relieved. "I'll even shout you dinner as thanks."

Ventus waved his hands quickly. "Oh, no, that won't be necessary! I mean, I'd still like to have dinner with you, but you don't have to shout me!"

"Should we meet back here then? In about…half an hour?" Vanitas asked, just as the lift in front of them arrived and the doors slid open.

Ventus readily nodded, following Vanitas into the lift. "Half an hour, yeah! That'll be fine."

"Great," Vanitas breathed, already quietly excited for the night ahead.

"I'll be waiting."

-0-

Using what he'd overheard of Ventus' conversation with Aqua to his advantage, Vanitas played on the theory that he was completely new to town and needed to be 'shown around'. The Pool tournament ploy was actually more or less true, except of course he knew where it was held – he played there every Friday.

Acting more natural now that he had him exactly where he wanted him, Vanitas met Ventus down in the foyer before they headed out into the city together. Ventus' cologne smelled nice and he looked amazing in just a plain, branded t-shirt and wash-out jeans, and Vanitas realised this was actually the first time he was seeing him out of his work clothes. It was a small detail that he immediately wanted to get _very_ used to… A _better_ one would be to have Ventus _out of them entirely_.

Ventus, ever so helpful, pointed out key landmarks along the way, Vanitas pretending to be seeing them all for the first time when he really knew this city like the back of his hand. The bar where the Pool tournament was being held was quiet and softly lit, Vanitas insisting on signing them both up to compete, even though Ventus swore black and blue he didn't know how to play. This was something Vanitas had actually been banking on. He watched Ventus nervously line up his first shot and let him flounder for the time being, hiding his smirk behind a long sip of his drink.

"So, uh, how have you been settling in?" Ventus asked him, missing his ball entirely and unluckily sinking one of Vanitas'. "I know the city's a bit of a change of pace for most people, especially if you're not used to all the crowds and noise."

Moving around the table, Vanitas lined up his own shot, easily sinking one of his balls before he turned back to Ventus. He made sure to keep his smile subdued.

"I'm used to moving around a lot, so it's not that big of a deal," Vanitas answered, missing his next shot on purpose just to give Ventus more of a chance. "Which…I guess is a good thing, since the Body Corp of the apartment has given me two weeks to get out."

Ventus stood up as straight as the cue in his hand, frowning across the table furiously. "What? But, why? They can't do that without any grounds!"

Vanitas sighed dramatically, giving Ventus a rueful smile. "This is probably going to sound crazy, but, for some reason, they're accusing me of smoking in my apartment when I don't even smoke at all."

If Ventus had been still before he was practically a statue carved of marble now, his fingers locking around his cue as his face drained of all colour. "…Smoking? …They're accusing _you_ of _smoking?"_

There was a slight squeak in his voice that very nearly caused Vanitas to spit out his drink. This was going _far_ too smoothly.

"Yeah, it's unfair, right?" Pretending not to notice, Vanitas met Ventus' eyes before nodding down at the table. "Ah, Ventus? It's your shot."

Ventus blinked rapidly, his eyes frantically searching out the white ball amongst the others before he hurried to take his turn. By this point, it was hard for Vanitas to even keep a straight face. Ventus' reaction was _priceless_. He continued talking, watching Ventus carefully.

"I can't even fight them on it – it's their word against mine, and they've already stated they received _multiple_ complaints from some of the other tenants… So I guess I gotta find somewhere new to live. Such a shame really… I was really starting to like it there."

At Vanitas' words, Ventus fumbled and hit the ball way off course, bouncing it against one of the side cushions that fatally knocked it into a nearby corner pocket. Vanitas thought if Ventus' hair had the capacity to droop, this would have been the opportune moment.

Still looking thoroughly bewildered, Ventus utilised his cue like a crutch and rubbed at the back of his neck. He didn't look well at all.

"Oh, _man,_ I am _really_ no good at this."

Taking pity on him, but still keen to push his advantage, Vanitas rested his own cue on the wall behind him before moving around the table to stand beside Ventus.

"You just need a bit of practice. Here, I'll help you."

He took a hold of Ventus' cue and ushered him into position. Ventus wordlessly complied, appearing nervous as Vanitas settled in close behind him.

"You've got to lean your whole body into the shot, but still keep your grip on the cue relaxed."

Vanitas leaned in closer, his chest just brushing Ventus' shoulder-blades as he all but embraced him from behind.

He watched Ventus swallow hard, just as he leaned forward more and placed his mouth right next to his ear.

"Put your hands like this…"

Vanitas could tell Ventus wasn't the kind to blush, but his body language was telling him _everything_ he needed to know.

"R-Right," Ventus quavered, Vanitas' proximity obviously affecting him.

Vanitas grasped Ventus' hand on the cue and slowly drew it back, his other hand positioning Ventus' against the table to support the shaft. Wondering just how much he could get away with here, he subtly pressed his hips into Ventus' ass.

Ventus let out a sharp intake of breath and Vanitas was instantly thrilled. That was all the reaction he was after. His lips nearly touching the shell of Ventus' ear now, Vanitas lowered his voice further, just as he lined up the shot.

"Then, it's just all about… _hitting…_ the right… _spot."_

With a smart tap, the ball rolled forwards and clinked into the one Vanitas had been aiming for, sinking it smoothly.

"It…It went in…" Ventus murmured, and this time around Vanitas couldn't quite hold back his laugh. It wasn't the first time he'd heard someone say _that,_ but he didn't want to come across as sleazy. Still, he grinned as he released Ventus, taking the opportunity to take his own turn while Ventus stood motionless, slightly stunned.

His fun over, Vanitas quickly finished the game, smirking over at Ventus just as the eight-ball disappeared down one of the pockets.

"I guess you'll have to come with me next week, too. I'll make a champion out of you yet."

Ventus returned his smile, albeit a little hesitantly. He seemed to be struggling with himself as he opened his mouth to speak, Vanitas quick in wondering if he was about to come clean.

"…Y-Yeah…" Ventus replied in a quiet voice instead, studiously avoiding Vanitas' eyes. As if looking for something to preoccupy himself with, he reached for his drink like a lifeline, nearly downing it all in one go. Any other person might have been worried by this, but Vanitas wasn't in the slightest. He knew it'd only be a matter of time before Ventus would have to confess, and unfortunately for him, Vanitas could be amazingly patient. He already knew the outcome would be _that_ much _sweeter._

-0-

Returning home some hours later, they'd had a good time together despite Ventus appearing distracted all throughout the rest of the evening. His smiles were sometimes a little too cheery and were closely followed by heavy frowning just seconds later, especially when he thought Vanitas wasn't looking at him.

After Vanitas had ( _easily_ ) won the Pool tournament and they'd left the bar for a nearby pizza joint, he had counted no less than _four_ attempts on Ventus' part to confess his role in his supposed eviction from the apartment building. Each and _every_ time, Ventus hadn't been able to get the words out without completely losing his nerve first. Vanitas had been tempted to put him out of his misery, but he'd been enjoying watching Ventus squirm too much for it to just end so soon.

"You're a floor above me, right?" Vanitas asked, stepping into the lift before Ventus. Without being prompted he pressed the ninth button as well as the eighth, but looked to Ventus for confirmation anyway. Their eyes met and Ventus couldn't have looked guiltier if he'd tried. He was the first to glance away.

"Ah, yeah! I am."

Vanitas almost grinned, but was quick to suppress it. How much more would Ventus take before he cracked? Vanitas wasn't about to let up on him now…

"Unless…you'd like to have a nightcap?"

Ventus looked at him and Vanitas smiled invitingly, even throwing in a casual shrug for good measure. "I got a nice bottle of bourbon for a housewarming gift… and I was saving it for a special occasion, but since I'm being evicted now I may as well just drink it."

The lift doors slowly slid closed, and now here was an expression of Ventus' that Vanitas hadn't seen before. As soon as Vanitas mentioned being evicted, Ventus looked downright miserable as he hunched his shoulders and stared down at the floor. He jerkily rubbed the back of his neck and let out a heavy sigh. Vanitas waited, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

Was he _finally_ going to…?

"Look, Vanitas… There's something I've gotta tell you."

Still looking defeated, but now more noticeably determined, Ventus met Vanitas' questioning gaze head on.

"I…I was the one who reported you to the Body Corp for smoking – but I didn't know it was you!" His eyes flew wide, his hands raised in supplication. "I just – _assumed_ it was the apartment below me, but I know now I had it all wrong!" Losing some of his nerve, Ventus turned his head to the side, choosing instead to focus on the blinking lights of the elevator buttons. "I'm going to talk to the building's manager first thing in the morning – I promise! You won't have to move out…and I'm sorry…for causing you so much trouble… _Please_ don't be mad..."

Sure, Ventus couldn't quite look him in the eye as he apologized, but he still managed to get it all out, which was a lot more than anything Vanitas had ever received in the past. Most people were more likely to be too intimidated by him to ever actually approach him, nevermind if they were in the wrong or not. When it came down to it, all that really mattered here was that Ventus was making an effort, and that was all Vanitas wanted.

"I know it was you," he said simply. "I've known from the beginning."

Ventus went rigid. He whirled back around to face Vanitas.

"…No _way…"_

" _Yes_ way," Vanitas insisted, now looking deadly serious as he advanced on him.

With a soft gasp, Ventus pressed himself up against the wall, his hands flat against the metal. He scrunched his eyes shut and braced himself and Vanitas quickly realised that Ventus thought he was about to hit him. He snorted at Ventus' predictability, choosing instead to gently settle against him, caging him in with his arms.

"But, how can you be so sure?"

Confused by this sudden turn of events, Ventus peeked his eyes open again.

"W-What do you mean?"

Vanitas shrugged, enjoying the slight difference in their height as he continued to hold Ventus against the wall. "I could be lying. Maybe I _am_ a smoker."

Ventus frowned. "But…I haven't seen you smoke all night…"

Vanitas smirked. Ventus was definitely cute like this.

" _Maybe,_ I just didn't _want_ you to see. You have to be sure, Ventus." His smirk widened as he leaned closer, brushing their noses together. "There's only one way to know…without a doubt…"

As he spoke, Vanitas slowly leaned in, tilting Ventus' lips up to meet with his. He pushed into the kiss hungrily, flicking his tongue minutely into Ventus' mouth before pulling away.

"Do I _taste_ like an ashtray?"

Ventus shuddered out a breath, both of his hands now grasping at the front of Vanitas' jacket, keeping him close. Vanitas placed his hands on Ventus' hips, giving them a light squeeze.

"…I'm not sure," Ventus murmured, his eyes sliding open to meet with Vanitas'. A cheeky smile played across his lips. "I think I'll…have to check again."

Vanitas couldn't hold back his laughter. He was more surprised than anything. Could this man possibly get any _better?_ There were no words as he swooped again, and this time, he wasn't holding back. He kissed Ventus how he'd been wanting to from the moment they'd shaken hands in this very lift the day they had met. Ventus moaned into his mouth, his hands wandering down over his chest and around his waist.

Vanitas pressed into Ventus harder, sliding his thigh in between his legs. Ventus' fingernails delved underneath his shirt and scraped along the bare skin of his lower back, just as he arched his hips into Vanitas' pleasurable touch. Vanitas groaned, barely keeping himself in check. He wanted more, _damn it!_ The sounds Ventus was making was _exactly_ what he'd been _dying_ to hear…

The lift came to a dead stop then, the doors gracefully sliding open onto the eighth floor.

"This is my stop," Vanitas breathed onto Ventus' lips, already pulling away.

It was clear by the look on his face that Ventus didn't have any idea of what to do. When Vanitas turned to face him again after stepping out into the hallway, Ventus was still slumped against the far wall, his chest heaving and his face flushed an attractive pink.

Vanitas grinned wickedly, giving Ventus a jaunty wave.

"See you around, _Ven_."

Wide-eyed, Ventus just started to reach for him, right when the doors slid closed again.

"…But – wait!"

Still grinning to himself, Vanitas silently made his way to his apartment down the hall. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, only to lean beside it.

He didn't have to wait for long.

There was a rapid-fire knock on the door and his grin was back in full force.

Flinging the door wide open, he just registered Ventus' shocked expression before he was sharply yanking him inside.

" _Whoa!_ "

Vanitas just laughed.


End file.
